Long Copy Sales Letters on the Web: Hype or Not?

Written by Nick Usborne


Continued from page 1

This happens to us when we WANT to hear what we are hearing. When we WANT it to be true. When we allow ourselves to dream.

This is how hype works. It deepens our state of submission and creates a state of almost dreamlike optimism.

And it works.

The significant downside to this approach is that most of us wake up fromrepparttar dream and find thatrepparttar 108025 promises were empty. Or, to put it another way, we boughtrepparttar 108026 ticket, but didn’t winrepparttar 108027 lottery.

So if your aim is to build long-term relationships with your readers, prospects and customers, using hype is notrepparttar 108028 way to go.

>> Long copy style #2: Selling with a Human Connection

The second style of long copy approach is quite different. Again, these are often stand-alone pages, many screens long. Again, you’ll findrepparttar 108029 headings,repparttar 108030 subheads, indents and testimonials.

But you’ll find a very different approach inrepparttar 108031 writing style.

If you have ever read a sales letter from Bill Bonner, Ken Evoy or Allan Gardyne... this isrepparttar 108032 kind of writing I’m talking about.

These are still long, enthusiastic letters...andrepparttar 108033 pace still draws you down, line after line.

But here are some differences, and they are very significant.

- Withinrepparttar 108034 text you will hearrepparttar 108035 genuine voice ofrepparttar 108036 writer. You’re not being sold with copy written byrepparttar 108037 ‘Dream-O-Matic 2000’ – you’re being sold by a recognizable human voice,repparttar 108038 voice of Bill, Ken or Allan.

- You are not succumbing to that state of dreamlike submission and suspending your critical faculties. You remain quite rational and quite clear in your thinking.

- You are hearing a voice that sounds and feels infinitely more trustworthy.

- You don’t have to suspend your disbelief. Instead, you feel comfortable and believe what you are reading.

Atrepparttar 108039 end of a letter like this, you make a choice...buy or not to buy. And it’s a choice you are much less likely to regret.

Online sales letters like these arerepparttar 108040 children of traditional direct response letter writing. Good direct mail letters are written in this second way – by making a genuine connection withrepparttar 108041 reader and earning his or her trust.

There is a big upside to this second approach. It builds trust and loyalty. If your strategy is to build a list of happy prospects and customers who will come back again and again, this isrepparttar 108042 style you will want to adopt.

>> Conclusions

Long copy works, and it works in more than one way.

If you can reach a big enough readership (no small feat) and want to make big money, right now, hype might work for you.

But if you want to build a long-term list of repeat customers... be yourself and write to your audience with an enthusiasm that is built on a foundation of honesty and respect for your readers.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocate of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his www.ExcessVoice.com site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com


The Power of Saying 'You Can'

Written by Nick Usborne


Continued from page 1

Think about this:

With Acme Business Intelligence Software you can provide senior management with reports that are complete and on time.

Or instead of saying:

Acme Newsletter Builder provides dozens of ready-to-use design templates...

Say:

With Acme Newsletter Builder you can create professionally-designed newsletters in just a few minutes.

Each of these examples simply shiftsrepparttar focus fromrepparttar 108024 company torepparttar 108025 customer and says, "You can do it".

That's stage one.

When we encourage our young children, we are also there to help and support them. Tryrepparttar 108026 same withrepparttar 108027 inner children of your customers and prospects.

So stage two is to provide not only your product or service, but alsorepparttar 108028 support to help your customers succeed.

Try adding a line or two like these:

Speak to one ofrepparttar 108029 Acme Trust advisors and find out how to write a successful grant application.

As an Acme Business Intelligence customer, you will be allocated Acme Support Representative.

Not sure how to get started with Acme Newsletter Builder? Ask for help at any time through our Live Chat support service.

If you subscribe to that original premise that we each of us retain many ofrepparttar 108030 fears and insecurities of our childhood, you now have a couple of very simple ways in which to reassure and support your customers and prospects.

Let them know that they CAN do it with your product or service. And remind them that you are right there, with allrepparttar 108031 support they need, in order to help them succeed.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author and speaker. You can access all his newsletter articles on writing for the web at his www.ExcessVoice.com site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com


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